My dear friend that hosted me in Stockholm in June did such a fantastic job of showing me the creme de la creme of design shops + lifestyle goodies throughout the city. I think I took more photos of stores and items then of the sites. :) I will sharing some of my favorite stores and design with you and first up - Svenkst Tenn / Swedish Pewter. Oh la la - what can I say about this shop?! Design inspiration galore! The space we visited was actually their temporary space as they are rebuilding their shop and design studio. It's housed in an old theater and is definitely more showroom than store. I would even call it a museum. Row after row of fabulous interior setups, fabric style, gorgeous decor. My friend pointed out that Josef Frank is a renown designer, famously known for his elephant print fabric. I snapped all the photos above and spent a lot of time enjoying the pretty environment. I just love the look of the space - colorful, bright and happy.

I still can't get over the bright blues and gorgeous greens that I captured on my summer adventure to Stockholm, Italy and London. The blue skies, sparkling water and countryside were spectacular - true "Am I in a postcard right now?" moments. I am a big believer in pulling design style from your environment. I loved these colors so much, I pulled together some fab home decor that I would love to have for my small space.

I am a serious color lover - inspired by bright palettes. I am still going through all of my photos from my trip abroad this summer but I wanted to share some of my shots of the super colorful and quite lovely rowhouses in London. I ended my 4 week trip here and loved the energy and vibe of the city. My favorite spot - Notting Hill. (more to come on that neighborhood, complete with the best flea market I have ever seen, found on Portabello Road). I always say that you can find inspiration right outside your door and these pretty facades do just that - love it!

I recently returned from my summer adventure to Stockholm, Italy and London - wow - what a trip! I was considering posting as I went but then decided - unplug. It was a really nice break but I am happy to be back and I am so insanely overloaded with design inspiration and style. I'll definitely be sharing some of the goodies that I discovered on my trip so stay tuned. (I took over 3000 photos!)

In the meantime, I am so excited and happy for my friend, Erin, and her amazing July/August issue of California Home + Design that came out a few weeks ago. As the new EIC, she rocked this issue. It's full of design ideas, visual moments and thoughtful lifestyle pieces. And she complemented the print mag with a matching digital issue. I even got to be part of a shoot featuring Matt of Matt Bites. (That's me in the blue/white tanktop with Matt and another friend) Shot at his Long Beach loft/studio, it was a great afternoon full of delicious treats on a stick and I'd-eat-with-my-hands amazing homemade pie. I absolutely loved the mosaic ashtrays that Matt and his partner collect that adorn their cement walls as a featured art gallery. The contrast of textures - matte cement balancing shiny pops of mosaic tile - truly work. I also love the idea of taking an intended item and turning it into your personal style. (Ashtray as art? Yes!) Small spaces really evolve with personal touches and small details. Click here to read the new issue of California Home + Design.